Last Saturday, an 18-year-old high schooler from Parkland, Fla. stepped up to the podium at a rally to support Firearm Safety Legislation, and her careful, courageous words on gun control rang through to millions of Americans and people around the world. With her head shaved bald, her tearful passion, and her facts about the ease in which Floridians like the one who shot her schoolmates at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, can obtain, Emma González became an icon.
Despite the numerous amounts of school shootings that have happened over the last year (approximately 18 since January 1, 2018), González and her peers' forthcoming forcing the issue in the media and with legislators has made the issue unavoidable.
"If the President wants to come up to me and tell me to my face that it was a terrible tragedy and how it should never have happened," she said during her speech, "and maintain telling us how nothing is going to be done about it, I'm going to happily ask him how much money he received from the National Rifle Association."
Since delivering a speech she prepared with one night's notice, González has become gun control advocates' most sought after talking heads; a bisexual activist who has been advocating for causes she believes in as the president of Marjory's GSA. She's had to start a Twitter account (already verified) because she'd caused so much conversation.
On CNN Town Hall, González took the mic again, asking National Rifle Association spokeswoman Dana Loesch on the NRA's stance on banning the purchase of semi-automatic and fully automatic weapons.
"Dana Loesch, I want you to know that we will support your two children in the way that you will not," she began, somewhat nervous.